Beater/Winter bike
 

Okay, I have a question for all of you experts. Here's my back story: I've been commuting about 3+ days a week since March. I've been using a 1990 Cannondale Aluminum Mountain bike with smoother tires. I had bought the bike used about 2 years ago. Anyway, the bottom bracket has gotten really loose and it needs to be replaced. Turns out, sometime before I got the bike it was crossthreaded and the bracket can't really be replaced properly. The shop says that they'll rebuild the spindle and I should be able to get a little more life out of the bike, but that it won't last forever.

I've been thinking about getting a new bike (and now I have a legitimate excuse)...in particular a Jamis Aurora or Nova. However, I don't want to start riding a new bike in the wintertime when there's going to be all kinds of salt and snow and other crap on the roads (I live in Chicago).

So, finally the question...do you think that my Cannondale will make it through the winter and wait to buy the new bike? Should I say to hell with it and buy a new bike and ride it in the crappy conditions? Or should I buy a new bike, ride it on the nicer days and use my old, dying bike on the really crappy days?

What would you do or what do you currently do?

I'm actually in the market for a newer winter bike and using my current winter bike as a back-up.

I assume that the BB shell is damaged? If the shell and threads are fine, just replace the BB itself?

If the frame is damaged and you're eventually going to get rid of it, how about asking the shop to get it working as best as possible using some sort of heavy glue, sealant/caulk kind of something to fill the gaps, and get it permanently in there with no wiggle?

Ride it until it dies.

For you, one thing's clear (according to the shop)- your beater is on its last legs. So you're going to get a new bike, and if you keep commuting year-round, just making it through this winter isn't enough, because there will be another one next year. ;)

You could probably be OK riding your nicer bike IF you clean it religiously. I'd wipe down the drive train after every wet ride and at least a few times a week, lube once a week, and probably a thorough clean every couple of weeks.

Alternatively, you could buy a $100 Craigslist beater once a year, transfer all of your commuting goodies (rack, fenders, lights, etc) to it, treat it like crap, and ride it till it dies.

I vote to buy a new bike and keep the old one for the really crappy days and keep your eye out for another good used one to replace it. I assume that the threads on the BB are what are stripped? If so there are several solutions, some inexpensive and some not. Loctite Red is the down and dirty cheap fix. Phil Wood (IIRC) makes a bottom bracket replacement that will work when there are no threads to work with. It might be possible to tap it out a bit over sized and mount a different brand of BB (those are the more expensive choices:p)

Aaron:)

At our shop we're gearing up for winter and fixing and setting up a lot of winter bikes and I always advise people that an old bike is okay but a crappy beater isn't a good option as you have to ride the thing in harsh conditions and still want to have a nice ride.

Having your bike fail when it's -30 C isn't pretty.

My winter bike is probably too pretty to be called a beater... she was an SS last winter and is now running as a fixed gear.

http://members.shaw.ca/feynn/biking/...e/kuwiefix.jpg

Sixty Fiver...I guess it depends on everyone's definition of "beater"; to me a beater is usually an older bike that doesn't look very pretty and may have some mix and match parts, but is mechanically sound. My current beater is my 1972 Raleigh Sports Standard. It has chipped paint and some surface rust, the rear wheel has places where the chrome is worn out on the braking surface, I had a Huffy Baypoint that I used to use as a beater when the Raleigh was off being abused by my brother. YMMV:p

Aaron:)

Beat on the 'dale like a rented mule and get something fresh in the spring. If the BB is cross-threaded, there's not much point in trying to keep it running forever. Recycle it in the spring by pulling off all the reusable parts and handing it roughly to the nearest scrap metal dealer.

Get an old 3 spd. as an "ice bike." The fenders and chain guard are great for keeping you clean. If you gear it down, you can use it in the hilliest of terrain. The tires are actually pretty good for pavement and snow. Its virtually maintenance free.

Heck, just use a 3spd all year round to commute. Fast, clean and maintenance free.

New bike! Ride the old one into the ground. I kept my old broken MB1 for a winter beater for years (9 to be exact) after I bent the frame (headtube bent back, damage to downtube too). When I finally retired it the headset bearings were ground down to little pebbles. I'll bet that Cannondale will last longer than you think.

Winter accelerates wear a bit and requires quite a lot of maintenance, but it's no reason to worry and ride a beater if you don't want to.

can you (efficiently) rethread an aluminum bb shell? (I voted to just get a new bike now, would keep this one as beater if you can recover the bb)

I bought a Jamis Nova used a couple of years ago, and I just can't bring myself to ride it in the winter. Its just too nice to get all slathered up in salt, slush, and grit. I'll be on my beater Schwinn again this winter.

Not having a reliable bike in the harsh part of winter is risky to me. Will yours make it? No idea. But I do know that getting stranded in the summer is an adventure, maybe even fun. Getting stranded by a break down in winter when it's dark and below zero sucks *****, and can be down right dangerous.

How about a single speed? I ride the same one all year, Very easy to maintain. Cheaper to buy, theoretically:-). You got hills?

My commute is four miles. I'm just going to go find a really cheap (sub 100 dollars) beater from the Salvation Army or something and tune it up/outfit it to make it through the winter.

I vote you at least replace the BB so that you can sell the Cannondale down the road instead of just throwing it in the trash. Ebay has some $15 ones:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...cket&category0=

Y'all can stop posting. The OP posted elsewhere and hasn't visited thread since.

Just in case (I often can't revisit threads for a day or two, plus there is value to non-OPs in these types of threads): I vote that you buy the new bike if you are ready to do so, then invest another $60 in a single speed drive train (rocket ring ($18), KMC chain ($8) & Nashbar single speed kit ($30)). Run the single speed kit drivetrain through the winter then gear it up in the spring when you want to push a little harder. Every winter, simply put back on the beater singlespeed drivetrain.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm definitely leaning towards buying a new bike. I got my cannondale back from the shop. THey rebuilt the spindle, so I'll get some more use out of the bike. I'm going to start being a bit more gentle on the thing (and on my knees) by applying less torque.

I'd definitely consider going single speed since I live in Chicago and there are really no hills to speak of, however there is wind and that can be kind of a killer.

Do most people use beaters in the winter? In Chicago it seems kind of like a necessity cause of all the salt they use on the roads. This will be my first winter and I'm really looking forward to it.

Also, I'm sorry if I broke any kind of forum etiquette by posting elsewhere. I'm fairly new to the forum and I don't mean to step on any toes.

I like to keep a relatively new bike as a winter bike, since it seems that winter is the least of times I can afford to have bicycle mechanical related issues cropping up during one of my commutes. My current winter ride is an '06 Trek hybrid, and it has given me very little trouble in the way of maintenance problems, making my commutes fairly routine.

I think I would just do as Aaron said and Lock Tight Red (or possibly JB Weld) a new cartrige bottom bracket in place. Your bike should be good for another 3,000+ miles then. Put the $700 you saved on the new bike into an IRA or just stash it away "for a rainy day"